On our final evening at the Annunciation Mission, we asked our participants to take a few minutes to reflect upon their experiences of the past week, and document any thoughts and sentiments they'd like to share with our community of friends, family and supporters,

  

This group of students was truly impressive.  I saw and was part of a group of 15 students and 5 adult chaperones who energetically worked on gutting the downstairs of a flooded home.  I was so impressed by the communal spirit – the helpfulness of people with each other – doing heavy lifting, pulling down walls & ceilings, tediously  wire brushing, sweeping debris and getting covered by dirt & dust.

            We worked hard, we played hard, we laughed a lot and we ate a lot. 

            As the Superintendent of Rockport Public Schools, I am so proud of the exemplary behavior of the eleven girls from my high school.  They worked so well together, and they worked and worked.  The spirit of joy and pleasure among them was so wonderful to observe.  I loved hearing their comments about the owner of the home, seeing the compassion they had for this gentleman.  I also totally enjoyed hearing their laughter, seeing their playfulness, all with a warm and open spirit.  Their level of humaneness and empathy is extraordinary.

            Due in large part to the spirit within this group of 20 people, I look forward to the next time I can participate in another service project.  New Orleans still needs much re-building.  I would be proud to do this type of project again, and would encourage others to give themselves this opportunity…you give and get back so much.

 

From the moment we arrived to the time we left, our hearts, souls and strength were put into helping Mr. Johnson move back to his home.  In New Orleans, it is a tradition that houses are passed down through generations, so each house has a special part of it that makes it a home.  When Katrina hit New Orleans, many families lost not just their houses but their homes and the memories attached to them. 

Mr. Johnson, the homeowner of the house we were rebuilding, lost his home to the storm.  The whole first floor was flooded waist deep and he was forced to live in the upstairs of his house.  All of his belongings that he could save were put upstairs where he now resides with his dogs.  He asked the St. Bernard Project for help because he had lost all his money to contractor fraud and he works full time as a taxicab driver.

When we got to the site of his house we were able to meet him for the first time. This inspired our group to work ten times harder just to be able to have him say, “I am home.”

The first day of construction was demo day, everyone’s favorite day.  I mean, give a teenager a hammer and a crowbar and say, “hack down that wall”, and they will do it without complaining!  We ripped down the ceilings, tore out the walls and Dr. King demolished the bathroom… and I mean demolished it!

The second day we started the mold removal process.  To get rid of the mold you need to “wake it up” first.  So we took wire brushes and scrubbed every single surface of each board in that house. 

On the third day of construction we continued wire brushing the wood.  After the construction day was over, we all went out for a dinner with Mr. Johnson and the Americorps volunteers.  After the meal we took a final group picture and each of us teens went to Mr. Johnson and gave him a big hug and said, “we know you will have a home soon!”

Throughout this trip, our group has gotten closer.  From a Gloucester Middle Schooler to a Rockport Senior, we all came together to help make a difference in Mr. Johnson’s life.  I am proud of all my teammates in this project and I am thankful for our awesome chaperones and sponsors.  We could not have done anything without you!

Thank you!  

 

Even though we see footage of disasters on the news just about every day, I pretty much saw it as a sad thing but then forgot about it.  But coming to New Orleans, especially seeing the Ninth Ward, I have realized that it’s all real.  There are families and communities that are just like ours that have been destroyed.

            I really didn’t know what to expect when it came to the work we were going to do on the houses, but what we did was absolutely amazing!  Just using all my strength and energy to help get a nice man back into his home was a very good feeling.  When I first met Mr. Johnson, it made everything even more real and I really didn’t expect that.  I’m overjoyed that I experienced this trip, it was amazing!

 

You can’t realize how fulfilling and rewarding a trip like this can be until you participate in one.

            Meeting Mr. Johnson not only motivated and inspired me to work harder, it gave me a certain perspective.  Anything that was bothering me or anything that I was frustrated with was NOTHING in comparison to what the people of New Orleans have been through.  I feel very privileged to have the life that I have and I am very happy to have been able to share my abilities and to help out in NOLA.

            I wouldn’t consider changing what I did over this break.  THANK YOU!

 

 

            The New Orleans trip truly changed me.  Seeing people who lost nearly everything to the hurricane, yet still took everything with a positive attitude was inspirational.  The friendliness of the citizens shocked me; strangers would wave and smile and just thank us for what we were doing.  That was my motivation.  Working on Milton Johnson’s house was not easy.  I remember after workday #1, I felt like I was a different person.  The adrenaline from knowing how much I helped him was incredible.  That’s what made me get up and want to do it again the next day.  Seeing the 9

 

 

            To be completely honest, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect coming to New Orleans.  Five years after Hurricane Katrina I thought it would be pretty well-finished, little did I know that many areas still have not been able to rebuild.  Many people face many different problems and this trip truly opened my eyes to the devastation.  The effect of this trip was unlike any news report, magazine article or newspaper column.  So many grateful people greeted and thanked us.  Whether it was a smile, a honk of a horn or a wave, EVERYONE was grateful.  I would like to personally thank all of our chaperones, our friends and family, and all the people that helped make this possible.

 

            The service trip to New Orleans was a life changing experience for me.  Going down to the Lower 9 Ward district and seeing all the devastation was hard.  Seeing all the destruction raised morale for the rebuilding of Mr. Johnson’s house.  Meeting Mr. Johnson was very rewarding because he was so grateful, and it made me feel good to work on his house.  Having strangers repeatedly approach and thank us for being there was also a good feeling.  Thank you.

 

            The service trip to New Orleans was a truly an amazing experience.  I came down here to make a difference, and I feel like I accomplished that goal.  Rebuilding a house isn’t necessarily easy or fun, but when you look around and see your team members who have become like a family to you, it gives you such a wonderful sense of motivation.  In addition to that, knowing that you are helping someone get their home back is a great feeling.  I am walking away from this trip with so much gained: team work, leadership, new friendships, service to a great community and a sense of accomplishment.  The NOLA Service Trip was beyond worthwhile.  I can honestly say I would do it again in a heartbeat.  I would also just like to say thank you to everyone I met and worked with for giving me one of the best weeks of my life.

 

            I am tired and sore.  I have worked in the heat and dirt for the past three days.  I have been scraped and have bled.  I have had some of the most wonderful times of my life.  I did not think that New Orleans really needed my help, that the hurricane five years ago was just a distant memory.  Little did I know that our team and others like us are needed and wanted by huge numbers of people in New Orleans.  I am so glad to have come on this trip.  I have bonded with people I never thought I would, and I have helped those who needed my help.

 

 

Our YMCA New Orleans Service Trip has been such an amazing experience.  The people I met and the things I saw will forever stay with me.  Going to the Lower 9 Ward and seeing plots of land with front steps leading to nowhere, when 5 years ago those same steps led to somebody’s home left a huge impact on me.  The unbelievable amount of “Thank You”s we got alone was enough to show how badly people in New Orleans want their city back.  New Orleans is an amazing place full of culture and life.  It is somewhere that needs our help.  I can’t imagine how it must feel to lose everything and go through such a horrible event.  It is amazing how strong and resilient these communities are.  This trip showed me that to not help and not do my part- with all the blessings I have- would be a disgrace.  What we can get accomplished together is so powerful and it is important to step back and realize this.  All of the stories I have heard have touched my heart and have made me want to do as much as I can to help.

 

The fact that people have overcome so much in New Orleans is a feat not easily undertaken, and one which they are achieving.  I saw two young girls playing cards to escape the heat outside.  It might warm your heart that they can find normalcy in despair, but they were playing on the foundation of their neighbor’s house (which had washed away).  In clear view of a house made of brick cracked down the middle.  Another nearby house had a caved in roof.  These were surrounded by cleared land where their neighbors used to live.  Sure, on one hand the fact that they can play around- which shows progress- is great, but we can’t let our America (any part!) grow up to think that literally broken houses make a decent home.

Never give up on a tragedy!  The people here haven’t and neither can we.  Someday, it could be you in flood waters and the people of New Orleans wouldn’t be able to come because their homes are ghosts of their former selves.

I found this trip enlightening.  In the years that have gone by, 275 homes have been built or fixed by St. Bernard Project.  There are thousands more to go.  Without the continuous support of everyone, that will never happen.

         Team Work

         Addiction to Helping

         Maturity

         Caring   

 

            The New Orleans trip was a unique experience and gave a very powerful message about the devastation which hit the city.  Before arriving I had expected damaged houses waiting to be rebuilt but I didn’t expect the magnitude of numbers  in which these houses came.

            When driving through the 9 Ward there would be houses that were fixed and new, but just next door there would be empty lots; the majority of the area contained these grassy pieces of land holding the memories of what people used to call home.

            I can’t imagine this happening to anyone- this loss that so many people experienced, and the devastation that will take many years to repair.  The feeling of being able to help people in even the smallest way after this disaster is amazing, and the gratitude that these people show is the greatest reward of all.

 

            This trip has been a life-changing experience for me.  I have learned So much about myself, my teammates and the city of New Orleans.  It is a wonderful feeling knowing that you can help someone move back into their house and turn their life around so that they are back on their feet again.  This week has been fun and eventful but also full  of many hard working hours.  Seeing the difference we made in Mr. Johnson’s home from Day One to Day Three was so satisfying.  I got the chance to not only meet the homeowner, Mr. Johnson, but I was able to dine across from him on our last night at dinner at Jaques-Imos.  I have always enjoyed serving others, but this trip has encouraged me to help not only in our community, but in the entire country and all over the world.  This trip has been a push to jump-start my life-long goal to serve others and make this earth a greater place to live.

 

            I loved this trip so much and I loved the look on Mr. Johnson’s face when he saw us teens working to rebuild his home.  I will definitely keep in touch with Mr. Johnson. I am excited to go home and tell my family about all this work.

            I would love to come back down to New Orleans when I am older.

 

            The graciousness and warmth of the New Orleanions we’ve met has truly warmed my heart.  The tour of the city and interaction with so many locals really strengthened the compassion we all felt for Katrina’s victims, which in turn I think motivated us to give our all on site.

            My team leaders and chaperones were so wonderful!  They have made this experience immeasurably livelier, smoother and just more rewarding.

 

            What can you say about New Orleans?  In short they need help.  Sure, St. Bernard Project has finished 275 homes which is truly amazing.  But over 100,000 homes were destroyed.  Volunteers can make a difference.  We made a difference.  We helped gut out a house of dry wall and wood planks.  The feeling was very rewarding.  Of course smashing stuff with a crow bar will make you feel happy.  But this rewarding feeling was indescribable.  It made me feel like I made a difference.  I would highly recommend going to New Orleans to help rebuild.  There is still work to be done, a lot to be done.  We need to help each other.